Nadda asks J&K BJP MLAs to prioritise development

Katra (J-K), Mar 1 (PTI) BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday asked party legislators to prioritise development of their constituencies and maintain deep connections with the citizens as he joined the concluding session of the two-day MLA training workshop here, a party spokesman said.

Ahead of the maiden Budget Bession post abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories in August 2019, the BJP held the ‘Vidhayak Prashikshan Shivir’ at a hotel in Katra to ensure effective participation of the party legislators in the Assembly proceedings.

The second day of the workshop witnessed deliberations on leadership, governance, and public outreach, the spokesperson added.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh also attended the workshop and said that while following “our nationalist ideology, the issues concerning the welfare of the people will be raised (during the upcoming Budget Session). And our legislators are also capable of presenting their arguments with full preparation.”

Nadda, accompanied by Singh, national general secretary, incharge J-K, Tarun Chugh and J-K BJP president Sat Sharma also paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine atop Trikuta hills before visiting the two-day workshop at Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting the shrine.

Addressing the MLAs, Nadda highlighted the importance of “karyakarta nirman” and urged the legislators to rise above the “allure of political posts”.

Drawing from his own experience as an MLA and leader of opposition, the Union health minister said “posts are transient, but the trust of the people is enduring.”

He advised legislators to proactively engage with communities through platforms like ‘Krishi Vigyan Kendras’, ‘Asha workers’ meetings, and parent-teacher interactions in government schools.

Nadda also emphasised the need for MLAs to be “good listeners” to effectively resolve public grievances and regularly visit Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities to ensure inclusive development, the spokesman said.

“The BJP will play a great role of the main opposition party (in the J-K assembly). This is for the first time that we have come with such a huge mandate (by winning 29 Assembly seats) and our vote share is even better than the ruling party (NC),” Singh told reporters on the sidelines of the workshop.

He said the BJP legislators will highlight within and outside the Assembly the disadvantages of not having a “double-engine” government in Jammu and Kashmir.